The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 134

134. Let’s Expose Everything

She called the Australian embassy.

When the ambassador answered, she said, sobbing.

“Sniff, sniff, did you see the newspaper?”

– Sigh~ I did.

“Sniff, sniff, what do I do now?”

– What on earth is going on? What’s with the president’s son? Why did he blurt out unnecessary things to the reporters!

“My brother was caught for drunk driving, and I made a scene trying to get him out, and a reporter heard it. I didn’t think it would come to this, sniff, sniff.”

– Tsk, tsk, I told you. You shouldn’t even talk to reporters. They are heartless people who feed on the misfortune of others.

“Reporters are camped out at my house, so I can’t even go in, and I’m at a hotel in Incheon. What do I do now?”

– There’s nothing you can do. You’ll just have to hide until things calm down. Go abroad. That’s the safest thing to do.

“Then can I go to Australia?”

– Australia is out of the question!

“Why? Are you trying to cut me off too? This child is yours!”

– That’s why I’m saying, I have family here, and there are reporters all over the departure airport. Your brother has to move with you too. It won’t work through normal routes. You should stow away to Japan instead.

“Japan?”

– You might be able to stow away if you go to Busan. I’ll send you money, so find a smuggling ship.

“I’ve never even been to Japan. I don’t know anyone there.”

– Is that so? Hmm, then hide in the countryside.

“Reporters are even bothering my relatives. I have nowhere to go.”

– This is a disaster. Ah, I have a villa in Yangpyeong! It’s secluded there, so it should be fine.

“Really? Where is it?”

– But there’s a condition.

“A condition?”

– Burn that notebook right away! Why do you have something like that! You’re going to kill a lot of people.

“Burn my list of assets? Absolutely not!”

– If you don’t get rid of it, there’s no villa or anything. Burn it right now!

Cornered, she had no choice.

“Okay.”

She tore a few pages from the notebook and lit them with a lighter.

Since it was a phone call, he couldn’t see, so she just pretended.

“I’m burning it now.”

– Okay, I understand. I’ll tell you, so write it down.

Ambassador Jeong gave her the address and phone number.

The villa was owned by Ambassador Jeong but was under the name of a distant relative to avoid tax tracking.

The two headed to the Yangpyeong villa.

Vroom~

*

Yangpyeong.

With the Han River flowing serenely in front and a mountain behind, it was an ideal location. It was a secluded, Swiss-style two-story villa located on the mountainside.

It was a retreat where Ambassador Jeong occasionally came to clear his head in the summer and winter.

The two got out of the car with their bags.

“Sis, we didn’t kill anyone, so why do we have to run away like this?”

“I know, right? Why are reporters more eager to find women like me than murderers who kill people?”

“Those fly-like bastards! If I get caught this time, I’ll make sure they die young!”

“Hey, I’ve told you so many times not to deal with reporters!”

They rang the bell in front of the sharp iron gate.

A middle-aged caretaker with a shaggy beard came out with a black German Shepherd on a leash.

Woof! Woof!

The two were intimidated by the drooling German Shepherd barking at them.

The caretaker calmed the dog and said to them.

“Are you Ms. Jeong Yun-suk?”

“Yes.”

“I received a call from the owner.”

“I’m sorry. We’ll be in your care.”

“Yes. But there’s something you need to do first.”

“Something I need to do?”

“The owner told me to check your belongings.”

“My belongings?”

“He said there might be a notebook….”

The brother burst out in anger.

“What are you doing? Are you going to touch my sister?”

“He ordered me not to let you in if you refuse to have your belongings checked, so do as you please.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“Will you do it or not?”

They couldn’t go back after coming all this way, and they didn’t have any other destination.

The two took out all the belongings from their pockets.

“Here, this is everything.”

“Stand back.”

The caretaker rummaged through their bags.

A small notebook came out.

It was the notebook that she had only pretended to burn a few pages of at the hotel and had kept.

The caretaker put the notebook in his pocket.

But he didn’t stop there and thoroughly searched the car this time.

“Mister, do you have to go this far with the car?”

Woof! Woof!

The caretaker found a thick diary in the back trunk of the car.

It was the guest list ledger.

She shouted.

“That’s really not allowed! That’s my number one asset list!”

As the two rushed forward, the German Shepherd bared its fangs and growled, blocking them.

“Get out of the way, you son of a bitch!”

Grrr~ Woof! Woof!

They couldn’t approach any further.

The caretaker took the notebook and diary inside, poured gasoline on them, and threw them into the fireplace.

Whoosh~

After confirming that they were completely reduced to ashes, the caretaker tied up the dog and came out.

“Okay, come in.”

The two walked through the iron gate with slumped shoulders.

Woof! Woof!

*

Cabinet meeting.

A countermeasures meeting was held with ministers and staff from related departments.

On the table, newspapers and magazines with articles about the president’s son were piled up like mountains.

The president said.

“I thought it would calm down over time, but the media is getting more and more out of control. They’ve dug up everything about Ms. Jeong, from her beauty, physiognomy [facial features], height, burial preferences, to her fashion. They’ve even revealed how she entertains at Seonungak [a traditional Korean restaurant often used for high-end entertainment] and how much the room salons [private hostess bars] cost in Seoul, practically promoting the nightlife.”

The chief of staff said.

“Your Excellency, if Ms. Jeong wasn’t so beautiful and didn’t work in the entertainment industry, would they have dug into her private life this much?”

“…….”

“This is nothing more than sensational reporting disguised as truth. It’s really low-quality yellow journalism. They’re just trying to sell newspapers and increase viewership by being primally stimulating.”

During Chairman Wang’s era, Ms. Jeong was suspiciously murdered, and the police investigation was covered up because of the regime’s protection. However, the current situation is very different from then because no one has died.

The president said.

“I’ll have to step in and explain myself.”

The Minister of Public Information dissuaded him.

“Your Excellency, you must not step in. The media is just nitpicking like this to hear a word from the president. It will only make things worse.”

“Is there anyone here in this room, besides me, who is on Ms. Jeong’s list?”

“…….”

They looked at each other but remained silent.

The old regime’s figures had already been purged, so there was no one involved.

“See? Only I am involved. But because of me, highly skilled people have been holding countermeasures meetings for days. How much of a waste of national power is that? The people didn’t pay taxes for that, did they? I have to take responsibility.”

“You must also consider the opposition party’s attacks. If you rashly explain, you might give them an excuse, Your Excellency!”

“An excuse? Do you really think I have a child out of wedlock?”

“…….”

The room was silent. In fact, they were half-doubtful.

The president clicked his tongue.

“This is really serious. Even the cabinet members are brainwashed by the newspapers and are suspicious. How much more would the people be? That’s why I’m going to step in directly.”

The Minister of Public Information cautiously asked.

“Your Excellency, are you really innocent?”

“Everyone already suspects me, so even if I explain, it will only sound like an excuse, won’t it?”

“…….”

“So, rather than explaining with words, I’m going to prove it scientifically.”

“…….”

“Wouldn’t it be over if we confirmed paternity with DNA?”

The room stirred.

“Your Excellency, no president in the world has ever had a paternity test while in office.”

“That’s why the media is running wild like this.”

“…….”

“Let’s expose everything this time. Let’s take revenge on the newspapers that live off sensational reporting and the politicians who turn it into political strife in the name of truth. What kind of formality is needed to reveal the truth?”

“…….”

The chief of staff said.

“Your Excellency is right. The more Your Excellency stays still, the more the black articles will run rampant. We must face it head-on.”

The president ordered.

“Chief of Staff!”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

“Find out the procedures for a paternity suit. And file a victim report with the Press Arbitration Commission.”

“Yes, I understand, Your Excellency!”

*

The president held a press conference in the press room.

The reporters stared at the president with curious eyes.

“Everywhere you go in the neighborhood, it’s all about Ms. Jeong and the president’s illegitimate child. Even the dogs passing by stop to look at the newspaper.”

Some reporters chuckled.

“So, I am going to file a paternity suit. The documents are all prepared here.”

The president held up the documents.

The reporters stirred at the president’s straightforward approach.

A reporter asked.

“As far as I know, paternity confirmation is only possible if the child’s parents also want it. It means you can’t do it if Ms. Jeong refuses. Did you get Ms. Jeong’s consent?”

“No.”

The reporters nodded with a knowing look.

They suspected that he was putting on a show while silencing Ms. Jeong.

The president smiled at that expression.

“Do you suspect that I’m putting on a show now?”

“That’s the fact. Is Your Excellency saying that you are innocent enough to take a DNA test?”

“Who knows?”

“…….”

“I don’t know either. I have to receive the results to know.”

The room stirred once again.

“Your Excellency, what do you mean by that?”

“I have to say it like this so that the media will make all sorts of speculative reports and increase newspaper sales, right?”

“…….”

“I’m deliberately filing a legal suit in preparation for a situation where the child’s parents don’t agree. I’m going to enforce it. Is that enough?”

The president’s briefing was plastered all over the media.

This news was also conveyed to the Australian ambassador and Ms. Jeong.

*

The villa.

A stuffed deer head and a shotgun were hanging above the fireplace in the living room.

The brother threw the newspaper down and became agitated.

“Even the president is stepping in! What do we do, Sis?”

“…….”

“Sis, what happens to us if the president really confirms paternity and it’s not him?”

“What do you mean what happens? We become liars to the world. Then we have to go into the Han River in front of us.”

“Why die? We have to stop it!”

“How do we stop it? The court will just order it.”

“Those reporter bastards! Even if I die, I’ll kill them first.”

“You still only have your temper. I need to get some fresh air.”

The caretaker couple had gone to the town to buy groceries and were not at the villa.

She went out the gate and took a walk around the villa.

She was frustrated about how long she would have to hide like this.

“Are you Jeong Yun-suk?”

She was startled and turned around.

Two men with cameras were standing there.

She realized what had happened.

It was because she had called the madam of the Gangnam salon yesterday to ask about the situation and say hello.

The reporters had found her like ghosts, only hearing that it was a Swiss-style two-story villa with the Han River flowing to the south in Yangpyeong.

She panicked and denied it.

“I’m not!”

Her face turned red, and she started running towards the villa.

“If you’re not, why are you running away?”

The reporters chased after her like hyenas who had found prey.

Arriving at the villa’s iron gate, she hurriedly pressed the bell several times.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Her brother’s voice came out.

– Why did you close the door and go out? You could have left it slightly open when you went out.

“Reporters are here! Open the door quickly! Don’t take pictures!”

– What, reporters? Reporters are here?

“Don’t take pictures!”

– Shit!

The reporter pressed the camera shutter at her.

Click!

The younger brother picked up the shotgun that was on the fireplace.